Networked print production: The ecosystem determines which machines are the right ones
Nowadays, nobody simply buys a printing press anymore. Instead, new components must integrate seamlessly into end-to-end process chains. But whether they actually deliver the results promised in the brochure within the digital ecosystem of a company’s own operations cannot be demonstrated in a PDF or a webinar. Decision-makers want to form their own concrete impression and see how the machine handles their requirements. So suppliers need to be where their customers are looking.
The pace is accelerating in the development centres of engineering firms, software houses and materials developers. Development cycles are getting shorter, systems are becoming more deeply integrated, and B2B customers are carefully calculating whether a new system is worth the investment. Anyone running a printing or packaging business today no longer buys a single printing press or an isolated software module. Instead, they look at the overall system and seek automated process chains that integrate seamlessly into their existing IT and production systems.
Technology providers must respond to this and adapt their traditional sales model. In recent years, many have focused primarily on digital formats. However, the B2B audience has now had enough of webinar recordings and virtual presentations. All too often, online demos have promised something that has not been delivered under real production conditions. Those responsible for decisions on investments running into millions would much rather see for themselves, as part of the decision-making process, whether a machine delivers the desired results.
Physical reality cannot be experienced via a webinar
The fact is that in many printing works, there is a wide gap between the expectations regarding digitalisation set out by senior management and the reality on the production floor. Whilst individual machines may be highly automated, they are often not networked with one another. The bottleneck almost always lies in the data flow: control data must be transferred without loss from the management information system (MIS) via the digital front end (DFE) and pre-press right through to the printing presses. This applies equally to offset printing and flexographic printing, to industrial inkjet systems, to toner-based laser printing for flexible small-batch production, and to the subsequent finishing processes. Whether this really works in practice only becomes apparent when the entire chain is operating under load.
Furthermore, print and packaging production are, after all, applied physics and chemistry. The extent to which the tonal range increases on the exact paper specified in the order, how highly pigmented inks flow at maximum web speed, or how new, recyclable substrates react cannot yet be reliably tested on a monitor.
Shortening the decision-making process
This is precisely why drupa is transforming exhibition stands from showcases into test beds. In the GROW experience zone, the focus is on end-to-end solutions. Here, suppliers can demonstrate how their machines and systems integrate into integrated workflows. Here, AI can prove its worth in continuous operation. Prospective buyers have the opportunity here to see the equipment in operation and experience how it responds to specific requirements, rather than simply reading data sheets. Through direct dialogue with suppliers, buyers can ask specific questions whilst the machine is running and get a feel for how it meets their requirements. This gives buyers the confidence they need before making an investment.
For exhibitors, this effort is worthwhile because it is here that senior executives approach them of their own accord – executives whom their sales team would otherwise have to chase after at great effort. This is also demonstrated by visitor figures from drupa 2024:
- 78 per cent of trade visitors are either solely responsible for investments or have a say in the decision-making process.
- 57 per cent arrive with specific purchase intentions.
- 80 per cent travel from abroad, from a total of over 170 countries.
- More than six in ten visitors are part of top management.
So exhibitors aren’t talking to second-tier figures on site. They’re sitting down with the people who decide on global production capacities and sign long-term supply contracts.
Direct access to the brand-makers
And these are by no means just printing and packaging companies any more. This is because there is currently a shift in who calls the shots in the value chain. Nowadays, it is rarely the print service providers who drive the development of new equipment and materials. The impetus comes from the start of the chain: from international brand owners, packaging strategists and creative agencies. They determine what anti-counterfeiting finishes should look like, how the requirements of the EU Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) are to be implemented, and where the code for the Digital Product Passport (DPP) is to be placed on the packaging.
Partner rather than just a supplier
This offers exhibitors a tangible advantage: 72 per cent of the world’s most valuable brands use drupa as a guide. Those exhibiting in the CREATE cluster have direct access to these decision-makers and thus an information advantage when it comes to new budgets. This is because changes in market requirements usually take time to filter through and are often relayed via intermediaries in the mechanical engineering and software development sectors. At drupa, however, suppliers learn first-hand what brands are demanding and can incorporate this information into their planning at an early stage.
Alongside the actual sales discussions, this sharing of knowledge and experience is the real value of exhibiting at a trade fair. When consumer goods groups work together with specialists in packaging concepts, speciality inks, B2B print media (ranging from high-end finishes to POS displays) and functional labels to develop solutions, the technology itself becomes much more than just a cost factor: it becomes a tool that enhances brand value and opens up new horizons. Exhibitors thus rise to prominence and become strategic partners to the brands.
Navigating regulatory pressures
The product passport and the PPWR are just two examples of how external factors influence companies’ decisions. The EU Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) and the expanded reporting requirements under the CSRD are forcing companies to constantly adapt. Anyone purchasing equipment today is therefore no longer just looking for the best hardware, but also requires process expertise and legal certainty.
The LEARN cluster is all about this knowledge, standards, the circular economy and practical experience. Among other things, it addresses sustainability in production and the areas in which new technologies – such as printed electronics for smart packaging – are already being used industrially.
Here, exhibitors have the opportunity to share their expertise – for example, on INGEDE-compliant de-inking in offset and screen printing, automated colourimetry or operational sustainability management systems – and thus establish themselves as experts. Through co-creation formats and dialogue with the research community, trust grows, and suppliers gradually become partners.
The community brings people together
Whether it’s deals struck in GROW, brand projects in CREATE or knowledge transfer in LEARN: ultimately, all of this is based on people knowing one another personally and trusting one another. And this trust is built through interaction that sometimes goes beyond purely technical matters. drupa not only creates opportunities for this but, under the PLAY label, promotes both digital and analogue interaction with people on site and around the world. Thus, in the In-Motion zones, at evening events and in conversations that weren’t on the agenda, the foundations are laid for OEM partnerships, interface alliances or industry standards.
This blend of technical expertise, a vision for the future and a sense of community makes drupa a magnet for the next generation. Here, start-up founders, students and industry newcomers meet established market leaders. Conversations take place on an equal footing – something that often fails due to formal barriers in everyday life. Exhibitors have the opportunity here to present themselves as employers and attract talent from the fields of software development, engineering and design.
Strategic vision
It is rarely possible to determine which machine is the right one simply by looking at the technical specifications. This depends, amongst other things, on whether it is compatible with the company’s in-house IT systems, meets the brand’s requirements and complies with the regulations from Brussels. For machine manufacturers, as well as for suppliers of materials or software, it is no longer enough simply to claim that their product solves customers’ problems. Customers want to see it for themselves and be convinced, through face-to-face discussions, that this solution will work for them too, before making decisions that will last for decades. The reward for this effort is a focused, direct exchange with the decision-makers.
When the entire value chain comes together at drupa in Düsseldorf from 9 to 17 May 2028 – from raw material producers through to machinery manufacturers and software developers, right up to global brand groups – it will be more than just a trade fair. It is here that companies decide on collaborations and set the standards from which the ecosystems of the coming years will emerge. Those who make their mark here will help determine the role they play in the market in the future.
Printing and packaging production are applied physics and chemistry. It is not possible to test on a monitor how recyclable substrates react under full load or by how much the grey value increases on a particular uncoated paper. At the GROW cluster, decision-makers can see the equipment in operation. They can assess its performance under near-real production conditions before signing contracts worth millions.
Whilst modern systems are highly automated in their own right, they often operate in isolation. The real bottleneck in production is the flow of data. Control data must flow seamlessly from the management information system (MIS) through the digital front end to the press. Companies are therefore no longer looking for isolated hardware, but for networked process chains that integrate seamlessly into their existing IT infrastructure.
Nowadays, the impetus for new production systems usually comes from the start of the value chain. Brand makers set the rules: they demand forgery-proof finishes and specify where the Digital Product Passport (DPP) is to be placed on the packaging. Machine manufacturers and software developers who engage directly with these decision-makers within the CREATE cluster are able to respond more quickly to market demands, thereby becoming strategic partners to the brands.
Regulations such as the EU Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) or the Ecodesign Regulation (ESPR) are radically changing procurement. Companies must ensure they comply with legal requirements. Consequently, in addition to the machinery itself, they are primarily purchasing process expertise and legal certainty. Within the LEARN cluster, they examine in concrete terms how technologies such as INGEDE-compliant de-inking or automated colourimetry can be implemented on an industrial scale.
